


A Simple Moment

by PeacefulPhoenix



Category: Outlast (Video Games)
Genre: College, F/M, Fluff, I just wanted to write something nice, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-07
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-24 02:00:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17695469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeacefulPhoenix/pseuds/PeacefulPhoenix
Summary: Somehow she even made doing homework look good.





	A Simple Moment

They’d taken over a whole table in the library. Well, Blake had taken over about a fourth of the table. The rest was all Lynn. He had a couple orderly stacks of paper, notes from lectures and lab work he was slowly chugging his way through. She had spread out her papers across the rest of the table. Newspapers, books, notes from classes, a laptop, a phone, and a couple of notepads were spread around her, leaving almost no unclaimed room on the table.

Blake’s pencil tapped against his own notebook as he looked from his screen to his notebook to his textbook and back. Biology never had been his strong suit. He’d been diligently working through it one step at a time but that didn’t mean he was making good time or that it was anything other than confusing and dull. 

He propped his head up on his hand, rhythmic tap of his pencil setting a beat to the otherwise quiet scene. 

Lynn was immersed in her work. That’s what is was to her. Not school but work. Good work, though. The kind she willingly dove into, leaving all her other schoolwork out to dry. But she knew what she wanted and she was going to get there.

Tonight that meant she had the opportunity to work on a story about… What had she told Blake it was about? Something about the upcoming elections, wasn’t it? She’d been pretty much banned from writing about the university after a particularly biting piece about how their tuition dollars were being used more for the director’s benefit than that of the students.

It had been a good piece. He’d proofread several drafts, each better than the last. The teacher had given her a good grade for it but had cautioned her from pushing her luck so close to home. Blake had to say he agreed. Lynn didn’t. In fact, it had made her want to go after more stories like that. Blake had reminded her she wanted good grades more. He’d slept on the couch that night. But that was nothing breakfast in bed couldn’t fix.

Now he watched her pour over another story. He was sure this one would be just as good as her other ones. Better even, for all the practice and hard work. How each article managed to surpass the last he still wasn’t sure. Maybe one day she’d even find a way not to let her bias into her work. 

He’d made a similar comment to Miles one night. He’d said something to the effect of, “I hope she doesn’t.” He’d said, “Sometimes a lack of bias is just a lie in disguise. The truth is more important than being centrist.” And Blake could understand that. He just hoped she could find an employer who could agree. 

Lynn had one pen in her hand, scribbling a note furiously into her notebook as if the idea might escape if she didn’t get it down in the next five seconds. Another pen was trapped between her lips. Another was twisted into her hair, keeping it in a messy bun. More spilled out from a pencil pouch and he was sure she would forget the ones she already had and reach for another at least once more. 

His heart swelled and his lips curved into a soft smile. He found himself longing to pull out his camera to film her. But of course, nothing revolutionary was happening. Nothing anyone would say was worth recording. So he’d just have to hold it in his memory on his own. 

“I’ve gotta find me a man who looks at me the way he looks at you, Lynn.” Miles dropped into a seat opposite them and let his bag clatter to the floor. 

Her eyes flicked up for half a second before looking down again. She was still scrawling notes. “Hey Miles,” she muttered around the pen in her mouth. As if she’d just discovered it was there again, she set down the pen she’d just been using and switched to using that one instead. 

Slowly Blake let his gaze drift to their new companion. “Hey,” he said, mirroring what Lynn had said. “What’re you doing here?”

“Well you see, Blake. This is a library. People typically come here to study. Or read. Or-” Blake looked at him flatly, pencil stilling in his fingers as he waiting for Miles to finish. “Yeah no, I’m here ‘cause you are.”

Blake nodded and let his eyes fall back to his homework. Well. He could use a break anyways.

He closed his laptop and leaned back in his chair. “How’d the project go? You can’t be done already, can you?”

Miles groaned and folded his arms on the table, resting his head atop them. “I can work fast when properly motivated.”

He stretched out his leg, letting it press against Miles’. “I thought you were excited about this one. You’ve been talking about being excited to-” Blake paused to consider his word choice, “-work with that guy for a while. Jason, right?”

“Turns out he’s straight.”

Blake nodded. “I see.” 

“But let’s talk about you instead.” Blake wasn’t so sure he wanted to do that. Miles wasn’t asking permission, though. “How’re you two doing?” He propped his head up and smiled wide at both of them. “Lynn, blink twice if he’s not treating you right.”

Blake pursed his lips and fixed Miles with a look. He didn’t notice though, because he was staring intently at Lynn who was staring straight back. Neither blinked or even moved for several long seconds. Each seemed to be testing the other. It was Miles that backed down first, breaking eye contact to look at Blake and let out a breath. Had he been holding his breath that whole time? 

“Alright, Langermann, you’re off the hook for now.” Lynn nodded and got back to work. “But I do have to warn you. If you don’t marry her one of these days, I might have to. And that’d be really unfortunate for all the men in my life. You included.”

Lynn laughed quietly and stuck her tongue out at Miles. 

Miles had said it in his normal, sarcastic way but still it twisted Blake’s stomach. Not because he was worried about Miles. While loud, he was pretty harmless. But it was something that had been on his mind for a while. 

Blake only noticed he’d kind of retreated into his own head when he came out of it to the sound of Miles’ fingers hammering against his phone. A second after he stopped typing Blake’s phone buzzed against the table. 

[MU]: _What was that look for?_

Blake’s eyes flicked up for a second to find Miles watching him intently. He started to type out a response but got one before he could finish.

[MU]: _Don’t say what look, you know what look_

Blake figured there really only was one way to answer.

[BL]: _What look_

Miles looked very done with his shit. Blake pretended not to notice. 

[MU]: _You got weird all weird when I joked about Lynn_

[MU]: _Whats up?_

Blake drummed his fingers against the table.

[BL]: _Just thinking._

Miles stared at his phone, wheels turning in his head as he looked between the two of them. 

[MU]: _Ooooohhhhhhhh_

Blake really hadn’t been planning to have this conversation with anyone yet. 

[MU]: _Do you have a ring yet?_

Blake nodded before catching himself and glancing at Lynn. She hadn’t seemed to notice. Miles face lit up and he quickly typed out another message.

[MU]: _Have you asked her dad yet?_

Blake closed his eyes for a second and sighed. When he said anyone, he meant anyone. 

[BL]: _Waiting for the right time_

Miles grin grew even wider.

[MU]: _Dude the right time is like yesterday_

Finally Lynn looked up from her work, looking between them suspiciously. “What are you two texting about anyways? You realize you could just talk, right?”

Blake opened his mouth to try and find some plausible explanation but Miles was quicker and Blake was more than happy to let him take this one. “We’re trying to find a good time to get drunk and hook up. Figured it would be insensitive to talk about in front of you. But since you asked, we think Friday afternoon sounds like a good time.”

Lynn nodded along like that all made perfect sense and Blake found himself sliding down into his seat. He pulled his legs back to his side of the table but one of Miles’ snaked out after him. “He’s got class Friday afternoons,” Lynn retorted as if that was the only problem with their plan. 

Miles turned to Blake, eyebrows pulled together. “Who still does Friday classes?”

All Blake could do was shrug and hope that they would both stop looking at him. 

“He is free Friday night,” Lynn supplied as she tidied up the table.

“Perfect!” Miles looked between them, smiling wide. “That settles that.” He tapped his leg once against Blake’s before standing. “See you Friday, Blake.” Lynn waved him off and Blake gave a half-hearted wave as well. 

The moment he was out of sight, Blake got another text. 

[MU]: _You better show me the ring later_

Blake didn’t bother to respond, more than happy to dive back into his homework now.


End file.
